


Rapid Switching

by n_v_c_r



Series: Juno Steel with OSDD [2]
Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Dissociation, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Juno steel is a system, OSDD, Other, did, little Juno steel for the win, peter nuryeyev is a system
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28612563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n_v_c_r/pseuds/n_v_c_r
Summary: It had been about a week since Nureyev had brought up the possibility of being a system. Juno still didn’t love the idea, but he truly couldn’t argue that it was a likely possibility, so he continued to research it, with the help of Rita. So when Juno approached Nureyev, asking if Nureyev could help him get in contact with anyone else who might be in the system, Nureyev agreed almost instantly.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Series: Juno Steel with OSDD [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095176
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56





	Rapid Switching

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Dissociation, rapid switching, please lmk if i missed any!
> 
> Also, if you have any ideas, feel free to comment or dm me on discord or tiktok! Discord is “with malicious intent#8604” and tiktok is “@n_v_c_r”

It had been about a week since Nureyev had brought up the possibility of being a system. Juno still didn’t love the idea, but he truly couldn’t argue that it was a likely possibility, so he continued to research it, with the help of Rita. So when Juno approached Nureyev, asking if Nureyev could help him get in contact with anyone else who might be in the system, Nureyev agreed almost instantly.

“Of course. I wouldn’t put bets on there being a whole lot of people, in all honesty, but if there is, that’s alright. What do you want me to do?”

Juno was nervous, definitely. “Well- in the research I did, a lot of people who had personal experiences mentioned something called a headspace? And I think, maybe, it would help if I could see mine? Ours? I don’t know.”

Nureyev nodded. “Of course. I can really only give you advice on how I get into ours, so I can’t promise I’ll be the best of help. Are you ready?”

Juno took a deep breath. “Hopefully.”

“Alright. I’m going to assume you’ve never meditated before, knowing you. Can you take a deep breath for me? In, and out, in, and out. Good. Keep doing that and try to envision where Benzaiten and Dahlia are right now. It’s okay if it takes a while.”

Juno did as Nureyev said, and soon it felt as if he weren’t in his body. He was fully aware of all senses, feeling the bed, hearing Nureyev’s voice, but he was deep within his own mind. It didn’t feel like the dissociation he had experienced before.

Finally, he saw a classroom, but it was warped and much more personalized than any actual one. The desks were few and far between, and they were much bigger than the standard ones he used to see. The walls were those white rectangles, the floor almost akin to a bowling alley’s carpet, just much more boring. There was only one door, across the room. Benzaiten and Dahlia weren’t there.

Juno described this scene in detail to Nureyev, taking note of small details like the old doodles on the white boards, and the frozen clock. While he could see all of this in detail, it was hazy, and every time he moved around or did anything, it was like the scene repeated three or four times before it finally stuck to the change. 

“It sounds like you’re there. Can you open up the door?” Juno did. “What’s there?”

“Just a hallway. There’s lockers, but they seem to be fake, like they were built for decoration instead of functionality. There’s doors, like more classrooms.”

“Can you knock on any?”

Juno knocked on the closest one. A taller lady answered, and her face was blurred, and her speech sounded like it was put through recordings so many times that he couldn’t understand a word she said. She sighed, taking Juno’s hand in hers as she led him down to another door. She opened the locked door with ease, taking him down a staircase before it emptied into a library.

Someone was in the room, just out of sight. The lady disappeared, and soon an odd silhouette appeared. It was as if a shadow had become 3D, and the shadow spoke. Juno could understand him.

‘Hi? I- who are you? What’s going on? Can you be in control like I can?’ Juno stuttered out some of the many questions he had.

The shadow smiled, as best as a shadow could, and within seconds they were back in the original classroom. The shadow walked into the wall opposite the door, which looked like an empty void of white.

Juno blinked, not used to the sudden light. He saw Nureyev in front of him, looking mildly concerned. He spoke, and at that moment he realized that he wasn’t Juno.

“Hello, Nureyev.” The shadow said, taking in his surroundings. 

“Oh, hello. May I ask who this is?” Nureyev asked, a little surprised at the switch.

“I… don’t have a name. Not quite, at least. Hmm. Holiday, Valentine, Halloween, it’s something along those lines.” The shadow’s voice was the same pitch, but held much differently. While Juno used his voice like simply a tool, the shadow seemed to savor every sound with dignity and respect. “Valkyr. There we go. That’s my name.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Valkyr. May I ask your pronouns?”

Valkyr hummed. “I don’t like he or she or they. Maybe… xe/xem.” 

“That’s lovely.”

Xe smiled softly. “It’s very nice to finally meet you. Juno is very fond of you.”

Nureyev blushed ever so slightly. “That’s… nice of him.”

Valkyr nodded, eyes going out of focus and feeling apart from the body once again. “I apologize, someone’s- someone’s opening doors, I swear, this is why I don’t…”

Valkyr was thrown back into the headspace, someone else taking his place. Juno- more just the body, at this point- rubbed his temples, yawning. “Hi!” He(?) said, when they were finally in focus and grounded into the body. They grinned, flinging themselves into Nureyev’s arms, hugging him tight.

“Oh! Hi there!” Nureyev laughed, hugging them back. “What’s your name?”

They let go, but still stayed close to Nureyev. “I’m- Juno…?” They sounded unsure. “Little Juno.”

Nureyev nodded. “Yeah! How old are you, little Juno?”

They held up 8 fingers. “Eight! I think! Or nine. Or seven.” 

“That’s a fun age! Do you know what pronouns you use?”

“The boy ones! But I’m not a boy.”

“That’s okay, bud! You can choose a new name, if you’d like.”

“I can!? Ooh! Um… I really like the name Mars!”

Nureyev laughed once again. “You’re a really cool kid, Mars!” He got up, grabbing a mostly-empty notebook, taking note of everyone’s names and pronouns. Valkyr, xe/xem. Juno, he/him. Mars, he/him. Dahlia, she/her. Ariel, he/they. Wynn, she/they. Quinn, he/him. Brown, he/him.

The rapid switching went on for over two hours, no one staying out for very long at all. One or two alters would be confused as to where they were, when they could go home, etc, and Nureyev calmed them best he could. Nureyev was a good chunk through the first page before Juno finally resurfaced. 

“Nureyev?” Juno asked, getting comfortable back in his own body.

“Hello, Who’s this?”

“It’s Juno,” he said softly. Before Nureyev could say anything, Juno felt tears escape him, and he started crying.

The taller of the two pulled Juno close, hugging him and trying to calm him.

“I can’t- its too much,” Juno sobbed, and Nureyev nodded, and they stayed there for a while, until Juno stopped crying and went silent.

“Nureyev?” Said a much higher-pitched voice. “It’s Mars.” The kid sniffled, holding Nureyev tight.

“It’s late, buddy, do you wanna go to bed?”

Mars nodded, and Nureyev helped him with it. Soon, they were in bed, Mars still clinging to Nureyev. “Can you read me a story?”

Nureyev couldn’t help but smile at the request. “Of course.” He sent a quick message to Rita, asking for her favorite children’s book. Within a minute, Rita had responded with some weird Earth fairy tale. Nureyev read it out to Mars, and by the time that he had finished, Mars was fast asleep. “I love you. Goodnight, buddy.” He turned the lamp off, pulling the covers over the two of them and falling asleep as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment please 🔫


End file.
